A New Landmark on Mooloolaba Beach, and What It Says About the Coast.
Drive along Brisbane Road lately and it’s hard to miss. Twelve storeys, glass catching the morning light, a rooftop that looks out over the water. The Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel opened its doors on 11 May, and it’s already changing the way the front of Mooloolaba feels.
By Steve Nottle, Head of Property Management
Published on July 14, 2026.
Last updated on July 14, 2026.
The First of Its Kind in Forty Years.
This is the first full-service, internationally branded hotel built on the Sunshine Coast in more than four decades. Forty years. That’s a long stretch for a part of the country that plenty of people would happily call the best stretch of coastline in Queensland.
The numbers behind it tell the story. A $250 million build, developed by KPAT Hotels and run under the Avani name. One hundred and eighty rooms, most of them looking out over the ocean or back toward the hinterland. A rooftop pool and bar, Sully’s, with views across the beach to Point Cartwright. A day spa and a fitness studio downstairs.
For a long time, visitors who wanted that kind of stay went to the Gold Coast or further afield. Now it’s here.
Why It Matters Beyond the Beachfront.
A hotel this size doesn’t just fill rooms. It puts people to work and sends money in a lot of directions.
The Avani is expected to create around 200 direct jobs once it’s running at full pace, across management, kitchens, events, the spa and front of house. Beyond that, there’s the quieter ripple. The local farmers, fishers and beverage makers supplying the kitchens. The cafes and shops that pick up trade from a steady stream of guests. The tour operators, the transport, the small businesses that do better every time someone books a few nights and goes looking for things to do.
Every extra visitor night spreads out across the area. That’s the part worth paying attention to.
A Sign of Where the Coast is Heading.
There’s a bigger picture here too. Investment of this scale doesn’t land in a place by accident. It lands where the people putting up the money believe things are going to keep growing.
With the 2032 Olympics on the horizon, the Sunshine Coast is being looked at differently than it was even a few years ago. Infrastructure, accommodation, the kind of higher-value tourism that brings business events and longer stays. The Avani is one of the clearer signs that the region is being taken seriously as a place to invest in for the long haul, not just visit for a weekend.
For anyone who already calls this part of the world home, that’s good news. Growth done well brings jobs, lifts the area, and tends to flow through to the value of what people own here.
What It Means If You Live Here display.
If you own property on the Sunshine Coast, developments like this are worth keeping an eye on. They shift how an area is seen, who wants to be here, and what people are willing to pay to be part of it.
None of that means rushing into anything. It just means it’s a good time to understand where you sit and what your options are, whether you’re thinking about selling, holding, or simply curious about what your place is worth in a part of the Coast that’s clearly on the move.
If you’d like a clear, honest read on what the local market is doing and what it means for you, we’re always happy to talk it through. No pressure, just local knowledge from people who know this area well.
